Bowles & Gintis: Correspondence principle and hidden curriculum

Question 1

Myth 1

Answer 1

Bowles & Gintis see education as ‘a giant myth-making machine’. Schools promote the myth that education is a meritocracy. This also results in making education appear fair as success & failure are seen to be down to the individual rather than as being caused by the system. Inequality is seen as fair, natural & inevitable. When working class children enter the workplace they accept their lower position & make no effort to rebel against it.

another Marxist Paul Willis found in his study of non academic working class boys that they were fully aware of the myth of meritocracy & they did rebel against the system. Willis noted how the ‘lads’ formed an anti-school subculture which rejected the schools rules & saw through the ‘con’ of meritocracy. The boys went to school to have a ‘laff’. However, this attitude ensured that the boys failed in school & ended up doing the dead end jobs

Question 2

2

Answer 2

Children are made to conform in school so that when they start work they willingly accept the system & make no attempt to challenge the authority of the ruling class. Schooling helps to produce the obedient workers that capitalism needs.

Question 3

Corresponds 3

Answer 3

Schooling “corresponds” with boring factory line production to prepare future workers for their lower role in society. The correspondence principle is said to work through the hidden curriculum (‘lessons’ that are learnt without being taught)

E.g. we accept hierarchy, rules, competition, working for rewards, etc. In this way the relationships & structures found in school mirror or correspond to those of work and we get used to being obedient & exploited from an early age.

Question 3

Corresponds 3

Answer 3

Schooling “corresponds” with boring factory line production to prepare future workers for their lower role in society. The correspondence principle is said to work through the hidden curriculum (‘lessons’ that are learnt without being taught)

E.g. we accept hierarchy, rules, competition, working for rewards, etc. In this way the relationships & structures found in school mirror or correspond to those of work and we get used to being obedient & exploited from an early age.

Question 4

Examples of correspondence principle

Answer 4

School uniform has to be worn 
Work uniform (or at least a certain expectation  of specific clothing) has to be worn

Pupils are rewarded for hard work through awards & good grades
Employees are awarded for work through promotions or pay rises